8 Good Things That Happened Last Week That You Probably Didn’t See

It’s no secret that the present day news cycle is more depressing than the last season of Breaking Bad. While it’s inarguable that bad things happen every day, the rate at which horrible news is thrust into our viewpoint seems to be ten times that of anything positive or uplifting.

I’ve touched before on cable news operating like a prime-time drama series, which prioritizes fear and sadness. It’s hard to turn on the TV, pull up a news website, or even scroll Twitter without feeling the weight of everything bad happening in the world being on the forefront of your mind 24/7. Just look at this brief photo essay from Wired; we’re constantly subjected to a shitstorm.

Everyone deserves a break from this dismal onslaught, so I’ve tracked down a few good nuggets from the last week or so to give everyone a pick-me-up. We all need a bit of optimism or cheerfulness sometimes.

Holy glorious nostalgia and excitement. Golf is in a great place right now, but a competitive Tiger charging down the back nine wearing his Sunday best would take things to a new level. It’s been a long road for Big Cat, and hopefully this is a positive sign towards a comeback.

This isn’t technically “recent news,” but it’s a recent piece of journalism that’ll put a little pep in your step if you read it. There’s nothing cuter or more entertaining than animals finding their way onto the gridiron.

A small ray of sunshine from the horror of two weeks ago, 27-year-old Tina Frost awoke from a coma on Friday night. From the extent of her injuries detailed in the article linked, that in itself seems like a miracle.

“Today has also been a big day for our TT – she is now waking up!” the spokesperson wrote. “She opens her left eye just a lil and looks all around the room at us, taps her feet whenever music is playing, continues to squeeze our hands, and even gives [boyfriend] Austin [Hughes] a thumbs up when asked. She sometimes taps to music and also took her first steps today with the assistance of the nurses – 3 steps to the chair and 3 steps back to the bed.”

There’s also a link in the piece to a GoFundMe for her medical expenses, as she’s got a long road ahead, but it was positive to hear about this first step.

ICU Grandpa

They call him "ICU Grandpa." Every week for the past 12 years, he visits the hospital to cuddle babies whose parents can't be with them. pic.twitter.com/80ZOpUTBN9

Unless your only source of news is the President’s Twitter feed, you’ve heard that there’s been a massive wildfire disaster in California. Take a look at this link to see how you can help.

Per the tweet above, one person who went all out to help was beloved celebrity chef and Mayor of Flavortown Guy Fieri, who made the best out of a bad situation and treated victims and first responders to what I’m sure was a sorely needed good meal.

Talk about destroying a narrative. I’m the first person on the “Teenagers Suck” bandwagon, but sometimes they can do a bit of good too. Raising $14K so their 80-year-old beloved substitute teacher can get some much-needed surgery for his wife definitely earned these kids a bit of respect in my book. The video in the link will make you feel the warm fuzzies for at least thirty minutes.